The Aston Villa whizz-kid is torn between declaring for England or Ireland and turned down O’Neill’s offer to play for the Republic against the Three Lions in next month’s friendly.

Grealish, 19, insists he will make his mind up at the start of next season and O’Neill is not surprised the youngster kicked the issue to touch for now.

The former Celtic boss said: “I don’t think Tim Sherwood is wildly bothered who Jack will play international football for. That’s not his job.

“His job is to get him to perform for his club. In an ideal world I’m sure that Tim would probably think, ‘If he can hold off for a little while until we get the season through, then that will suit us’.

“But deep down as a club manager I don’t think he would want Jack to make an immediate decision –I would probably feel the same way if I was in Tim’s shoes.”

Instead, O’Neill faces a make-or-break game against Scotland next month – where defeat could spell not just the end of Ireland’s Euro campaign but possibly his reign as well.

FAN: Martin O’Neill wants Jack Grealish to play for Ireland [GETTY]

“Jack might turn out to be a great player or he might be a flash in the pan, I don’t know”

Martin O’Neill

And that is why he is so keen to get Grealish on board – because the midfield star has been Ireland’s stand-out player at underage level over the course of the last five years.

O’Neill said: “He’s more likely to win more caps with us than with England, you would have to say.

“Jack might turn out to be a great player or he might be a flash in the pan, I don’t know.

“I’ve seen it so many times in the past that I’m reluctant to make a judgement.”

But while O’Neill is anxious to get Grealish on board in the near future, he does not believe the FAare anywhere near as worried.

He said: “At some stage, Jack will have to make his mind up.

“I wouldn’t be convinced that he would immediately be on England’s radar at this minute.